New NWS Report Predicts El Niño Winter

The National Weather Service says there is a 70 percent chance of El Nino this winter.


The National Weather Service says there is a 70 percent chance of El Nino this winter.

Every three to seven years, surface waters across a large portion of the Pacific Ocean warm or cool about 2-5 degrees from what is normal, according to the National Weather Service.

When the ocean temperatures are warmer, an El Nino occurs, leading to changes in wind patterns and in weather patterns across North America - generally causing drier conditions throughout much of the Midwest, and wetter conditions across the South.

To the north, and across much of western Canada, temperatures also tend to be warmer in El Nino years.